Process for refining mineral oils



Feb. 19, 1929.

. A. S. RAMAGE PROCESS FOR REFINING MINERAL OILS Filed Nov. 5, 1924 NG w .mf MAWSU lead pipe 11, and a cooler 12, i de Patented Feb. 19, 1929.

UNITED sTATEs ALEXANDER. s. namen,

OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

TC GYRO PROCESS COMPANY, A. CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

PROCESS FOR REFINING MINERAL OILS.

Application led November 3, 1924. .Serial No. 747,641.` l

My invention relates to a rocess for the continuous refining of minera oils, as well as their distillates such as gasoline, kerosene, and lubricating oils. My invention is an imrovement on the common practice of subjecting the oils or distillates to the successive action ot sulfuric acid and caustic soda, vand comprises subjecting the oil to be refined to an intimate mixing with the \aci'd, then while the mixture is stillin continuous'flow, allowing the sludge to settle out; then intimately mixing the resulting treated oil with caustic soda, and again allowing the sludge to settle out, and then subjecting the neutralized mixture to intimate mixing with water followed b a nal settling.

My met od thus provides for refining oil in continuous flow, the rate of flow through the .large tanks being sui'ciently slow to permit settling out ci sludge or water, the successive liquors overflowing at the upper portions of the tanks.

The procese and apparatus will be readily 'understood from the accompanying description and drawings in which Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the puriiying plant; anl

Fig. 2 is a detail.

The crude oil or distillate is delivered through pipe 1 to the pump 2-, here shown as a triplex pressure pump composed of three cylinders. A second pump 3, preferably of phosphor bronze and mounte on an adjusta le Y eccentric, delivers sulfuric acid through pipe 4; and an iron pump 5, also mounted on an adjustable eccentric, delivers caustic soda through pipe 6. These pumps are preferably driven kfrom the same'power source andare adjusted so that the exact quantities of oil and rea ent are delivered into the mixing cylinders g and 8.

The mixing cylinder 7 receives oil and acid from pipes 4 and 9, near 'its bottom, and the entering stream encountersr a rapidly revolvin screw propeller, b which it is brokenup an delivered upwar ly against radially arranged vanes 29, four being usually employed. The stream is further broken up and its components brought into further int1mate contact by passage through a plerforated diahragm 10 extending across t e mixing cyl'- lnder below the exit orifice at the top. The

intimately mixed liquids pass u thro h the into a pipe 13, extending downwardly towards the lower portion of a lead lined settling tank 14. This pipe 13 is preferably provided with outwardly extending tectiform arms 25, to distribute the liquid rising from the bottom of the'tube. The ridge of these arms slopes down from the horizontal so that the sides of the arms meet at their outer end in a point, the lower edges of the said arms describing a V-shapedhorizontal plane. This construction of the arms causesthe liquid to be distributed by a rolling motion from under the arms. The tank 14 preferably has a coneshaped bottom provided with a valved exit pipe 15, through which the sludge can be drawn continuously or intermittently. The accumulated sludge may rise above the bottom of pipe 13, so that as the mixed liquids slowly rise they are ltered throu h the sludge, and the clear liquor flows ofig top, and is delivered through pipe 16 to mixer 8. This mixer is like mixer '7 and the requisite amount of caustic soda delivered from pump 5 through pipe 6 `is injected into the clear liquor from ipe 16 and into the agitator 8, from whic the mixed liquor passes down into settling tank 18 of the same construction as tank 14, except that it is not lead lined.

From this settler the clear neutralized oil flows into another agitator, 19, into which is injected through pipe 20, the requisite amount of water for thorough washing. From the a itator 19 the liquor is delivered into a thir settling tank 21, from which it overflows through pipe 22 as clear Washed pil vto a refining still or other place of utiliza- As a the refining of a motor fuel, vthe 'pumpsare adjusted so that there are delivered to the iirst agitator 42 gallons of oil per minute at a pressure of 20 lbs. per sq. 1n.V The acid pump delivers per minute 11/2 pints of 70% sulfuric acid, and the soda pum 1 pint per minute of 20 B. caustic so a .solution. The oil and reagents are each delivered at a constant pressure of about 20 lbs. per sq. in.

The first agitator and oil plpes and other parts connected thereto are made of or lined with acid resistant material such as lead.

The settling tanks, 14, 18 and 21,. are, in practice, about 24, 21 and 18 feet hi h respecat the cie example of the operation in i tively, and are arranged so that ere 1s a at a speed of about 300 revolutions per minute. A simple unit of this kind continuously treates from 1200-1400 barrels per day, and

owing to the very intimate contact between the reagents and the oil 'undergoin treatment, not only can more dilute acid e used but there is a saving of from 60%-80% in the amount of chemicals used. v

' The sludge from the settlers may, if desired, be drawn off continuously by setting the valves at the bottoms of the cones partially open. Owing to the fact that more dilute chemicals can be used, the sludge from the acid settler is very thin and can be very easily treated for the recovery of byproducts and .20

acid.

The process and apparatus while they have been specifically described for use in refinin distillate, such as motor spirit,l are applicable for the treatment of crude oil, coaltar products and the like.

I claim: Y

v1. The process of refining oil which consists in lbringmg into intimate admixture by mechanical agitation, measured quantities of oil and acid, delivering the mixture so produced into the lower portion of a slowly Inoving body thereof from which the sludge is allowed to settle out, overowing the clear acid oil into contactwith a caustic soda solution and producing an intimate mixture thereof by mechanical agitation, delivering the mixture so produced into thelower portion of a slowly moving body thereof, and then overflowing the neutralized oil and washing it.

2. A process as claimed in claim 1 in which the washing is effected by bringing the neutralized oil into intimate admixture with water by mechanical agitation, delivering the mixture so produced into the lower portion of a slowly moving body thereof and, over flowing the refined oil.

In testimony whereof, Iaiiix my signature.

ALEXANDER S. RAMAGE. 

